Phil85207

In terms of comfort and protection.

I usually buy what fits me as I have a 7 3/4 head size and most of them won't fit. Now it time again and I thought I would pick some brains before looking at new helmets.

Hunt-man

I use an Atmos. The lighter weight helps my neck, a big difference for me. A bit more ventilation than some of the cheaper ones. They should all protect you noggin about the same.

CrimsonKarter21

Safer? No.
Better in every other aspect? Yes.

shouldberiding

Lighter. Better ventilation. Better (removable, washable) padding. More comfortable retention system/straps which are more adjustable. No more double-stick foam or straps that dig into your face like on the cheapies.

You can regularly get last year's $100-200 helmets for under $80 if you know where to look, so why not?

EventServices

+1

Phil85207

OK so where do I look?

shouldberiding

Nashbar, Performance, etc. Hell, you can find cheap bike stuff on Amazon sometimes.

San Rensho 

No better safety, no better fit or performance. Its only the bling aspect, but go ahead and get the Catlike if you think its cool. Its alright to covet bling, no need to be ashamed and try to justify the bling because its "safer."

shouldberiding

More expensive helmets are more comfortable. MY performance is definitely better when I'm not having to fidget with the damn straps every two minutes because of the crappy retention system, or having my head overheat because the venting is poor. The helmet should disappear so you don't have to think about it. Same with clothing, it should ride up and cause discomfort. Generally you get what you pay for in terms of comfort.

Sonoma76

The more expensive helmets also weigh less.

I just broke my $230 Ionos yesterday when I crashed. Sad.

gregf83 

I don't believe there is a significant enough difference in ventilation between a $50 helmet or a $200 helmet to affect your performance. Aero helmets have much less ventilation and riders seem to manage without losing any power.

challaday

As long as the helmet is CPSC certified, it meets a certain baseline safety standard. After that it's about fit, comfort, and yes, looks. Giro helmets happen to fit my head the best. I've had two Pneumos an Atmos that I just crashed last week and now an Ionos I purchased yesterday to replace the Atmos.

Here's the Atmos that I crashed. Sure glad it was my helmet and not my head.

DSCF0116..jpg

stevegor

Or.... is a 14K bike really THAT better than a 5K bike?

Yes, but I've seen guys win races on old cheap bikes with cheap helmets, so work that out.

a_phat_beat

i paid 205 with tax for an overpriced LAS Squalo helmet at an upscale shop here in brooklyn with prices that are WAYYYY to high on pretty much every product they stock, i wont mention their name but i forked over the dough because i had been shopping around for a helmet that fit for weeks and couldnt find one. i have an oddly shaped head. so i pulled the trigger and i'm not sorry i did. however i did find the exact same helmet on ebay in a straight auction that i won for 75 bucks. so i had to get it again in case i couldnt find another. you know if mine does what it's supposed to do, save my life. normally i wouldnt spend that much. but it is VERY VERY comfortable for me.

pedalhard

Once had the same opinion as you until till I bought a 200$ dollar helmet and I am on my 3 rd one now 15 yrs later no comparison in terms of comfort and ventilation, they are better. Aero helmets are not worn for long periods an all day ride or 4-6 hours with one would be most uncomfortable.

Brian Ratliff

It is, if you are riding for hours in the heat. The better ventilated helmet definitely is an advantage.

As for TT helmets, first, they are more ventilated than you thing. Second, they are on their bike for an hour-and-done, and yes, they do suffer from it and they do lose power from it. However, in their case, the aerodynamic benefits trump the comfort tradeoff.

Cat4Lifer

Completely agree.

I sweat very easily, and that used to be a factor in me riding without a helmet (15+ years ago). I have Bell Ghisallo helmet, I bought for about $80, and a Giro Atmos I just picked-up for $120 at Performance. The Atmos is the much better ventilated helmet of the two, and it's a bit lighter. Yes, the Atmos was worth the additional $40--no question.

R900

You wear it every time you ride, so is it worth it - I just bought a new Ionos for a lot less then $200 and love it, best fitting helmet I've had. I've used a Volt, Pneumo, & Atmos, along with a long list of cheaper helmets from Specialized, Trek, and GT.

halfspeed

If it's a Las, it's worth the extra money. Especially so if you get it on sale at STP. https://www.sierratradingpost.com/sea...criptions=True

blacksquid

I had to replace my Catlike Whisper recently due to an accident where I ran into some black ice and went down. The back of my head smacked the pavement pretty hard. I decided to take a step down and bought a Bell Volt. I definitely can tell the difference between the two. The Whsiper was much more comfortable and lighter than the Volt plus the ventilation was better in the Whisper.

The upshot of this is that yes, one can tell the difference between certain price levels in helmets.

Walter

Bingo.

umd

In the race bible for the San Dimas Stage Race, they said no Catlike helmets. I don't know why, but thought I would throw that out there since they were being discussed. Maybe they are only Euro certified?

NorthWestDork

I went from a Giro Pneumo to a top of the line Bell Sweep. The Bell feels noticeably more comfortable than the mid range Pneumo. Not sure if its the weight difference or the overall construction, but I like it. Now only if my team chose Giro Prolights as the team helmet...

Cat4Lifer

Catlike Whisper Bike Helmet

umd

Also I should add that Bell = Giro.